Manufacture of essence containing packages for brewing beverages



May 5, 1942. H. o. IRMSCHER MANUFACTURE OF ESSENCE CONTAINING PACKAGES FCR BREWING BEVERAGES Filed Sept. 30, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l M R Y 0 E 6 mmfi WI n N n Y /A, r\ aw. 5 n

May 5, 1942. H. o. IRMSCHER MANUFACTURE OF ES E'NCE CONTAINING PACKAGES FOR BREWING'BEVERAGES Filed Sept. 30, 1940 ATTORNEY Patented May 5, 1942 2,281,582

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MANUFACTURE OF ESSENCE CONTAINING PACKAGES FOR BREWING BEVERAGES Hans 0. Irmscher, Roslyn, N. Y., asslgnor to Millie Patent Holding 00., Inc., a corporation of New York Application September 30, 1940, Serial No. 358,998

7 Claims. (Cl. 933) This invention relates to the manufacture and Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the filling of containers and bags. The embodiment operation of heat sealing of the filled bag top cloherein described is particularly directed to the sure.

novel method of packaging tea, cofiee and similar Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the essence containing products, such packages being handle stapling operation at the superimposed made and-sold as complete articles of manufacportions of the longitudinal seam and the filled ture for use in brewing beverages, as for exambag top closure.

ple. so-called tea-balls. Bags forming said tea- Fig. 12 is a front elevational view of a finished balls are herein described as being constructed pillow-shaped tea-ball manufactured by the of heat sealing filter sheet material, the manumethod embodying the invention, and

facture of a suitable sheet material for such tea- Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken on line balls being described in the application of Thel3|3 in Fig. 12.

odore F. Menzel, Serial No. 335,694, filed May 1'7, Referring in detail to the drawings, in Fig. 12, 1940. 20 denotes a complete pillow shaped tea bag Among the objects of the invention is to gen- 15 manufactured by the method embodying the inerally improve the manufacture of filled packages vention, said tea bag being provided with a of the character described which shall be capable string handle 2| which is anchored by suitable of being utilized inexpensively and in a simple means such as a staple 22 in the manner hereand easy manner for large scale production yet inafter described, said string handle 2| being of neat and attractive appearance, and which 20 terminated at its free end with a tag 23.

shall be eflicient and practical to a high degree. The successive individual steps illustrating the Other objects of this invention will in part be proved method of manufacture of tea balls 20 obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out. embodying the invention are S own in Figs. 2.

The invention accordingly consists in the fea- 3, 10 d In practising said method it tures of the method, and steps of the process ex- 25 is contemplated making said tea ball 20 with emplified in the method hereinafter described, bags made of suitable sheet material 24 which and of which the scope of application will be y e ppli f m a roll R or other suitable indicated in the following claims. source. Said sheet material 24 may be fed from In the accompanying drawings in which possaid roll R in the form of a web or strip of the sible illustrative embodiments of the invention 3 q d Width, Said S eet material 24 being of are shown: a suitable foraminous structure, asfor example 1 is diagrammatic i illustrating a being formed of a base layer 24a of suitable manufacturing method of tea-balls or the like fi t p pe perforated parchment P p Cotton embodying the invention. gauze or perforated Cellophane, said base layer Fig. 2 is an end view, partlyinsection, showing 24a bei g p fi y coa ed on one surface the cutting of the filter sheet material into unit t eof W a adhering thermosettihg P sections and the partial bag forming operation tially fused lamina b of t e character de- (dotted lines) in improved manufacturing of the s b i e above-mentioned el pate tea-ball bags from a web or strip taken from 8. pp tion W o Substantially decreasing the roll. Fig. 2a is a cross-sectional view taken on 40 O a po y of the base layer y line 2a2a in Fig. 2. other suitable heat sealing filter sheet material Figs, 3, 4 and 5 r nd, id and top view may be used provided'that such material will respectively, showing the heat sealing operation Withstand immersion in hot water without damof the longitudinal seam for forming a tubular age or disintegratio d Which pe e dy unit section of the tea-ball bag. passage therethrough of liquids for forming a Fig. 6 is a side elevational view showing the brew a d Strains the o e s Such as tea or tubular bag unit section formed with the heat Coffee. On p s f the rew out of the ball sealed longitudinal seam finish. 20. The base layer 24a with the coating lamina Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 24b when used as sheet material 24 should be 1-1 in Fig. 6. of such compositions that they are insoluble in Fig. 8 is a side elevational view showing the hot o ling wa d n t impa t t e s htest heat sealing of the bag bottom closure and filling degree o Od or t te to the brew, have no operation. chemical action therewith, and are absolutely Fig. 9 is a cross-sectionalview taken on line free from giving the brew the least harmful toxic 8-9 in Fig. 8. effect when used as a beverage.

The strip or web of the sheet material 24 with the coated lamina 24b as it continuously comes d the roll R may be fed along a fiat surface support F with the coated lamina 24b facing inward in the direction towards a hollow mandrel M or other suitable former and centrally aligned with said hollow mandrel M as shown in Fig. 2. It is then cut by blades B into unit sections 25 of required length for making the bag structure of the tea ball 20. As here shown, the surface support F immediately over the mandrel M is channeled or slotted to permit the passage of the mandrel M with the cut bag unit section 25 so that said unit section 25 is partially wrapped about the mandrel M as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. As the mandrel M with unit section 25 passes beyond the channel, the section unit 25 is completely wrapped around the mandrel M and the opposite free outwardly extending edge portions thereof are pressed together and heated to the fusion temperature of the thermosetting plastic coating lamina 24b by suitable means as for example by clamp heater C thereby forming the longitudinally extending seam 25a as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

In the art of tea-ball manufacture a method for producing same to be of any commercial utility must be readily adapted to incorporation in the operation of automatic machinery so that low cost large scale production is made possible. To that end there is shown in Fig. 1 diagrammatically illustrated such application of automatic operation. The steps in such operation may take place if desired through the use of uniformly spaced, radially extending rotatable mandrels M. The steps of cutting and forming the strip into section units providing the longitudinal seam taking place at stations I and II and during the passage of a mandrel M from stations I and II.

After the longitudinal seam 25a is formed at station II it may be folded over against the tubular body formed of said unit section 25 as shown at 25b in Figs. 6 and 7. The mandrel M at station II or during the rotation thereof from station II to station III has the seamed tubular section drawn along the mandrel M and beyond the end thereof a sufficient distance to permit applying a bottom closure 26 and positioning the bag structure 21 then formed for filling. Suitable means, as for example indicated in dotted lines by grip'fingers G as shown in Figs. 6, 8 and 9 for such operation may be used, the mandrel M being formed with cut away portions MI to clear said fingers G and facilitate the operation thereof. The outer end portions of the bag unit section which form the bottom of the bag are then pressed together and heat sealed in permanent adhesion by suitable means such as another clamp heater H to form said continuous bottom cross seam 26 and joining the lower end of the longitudinal seam 25b of the section unit 25 so that said latter seam 25b extends centrally down one fiat side of the bag structure 21 thus simultaneously formed as shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, on further movement of the mandrel M from station III or when it reaches station IV, the bag structure 21 carried therewith is filled with a measured quantity of an essence containing product such as tea leaves T, the latter being inserted through the leading end or mouth 21a of the bag structure 21 through the hollow mandrel M from a suitable supply indicated at W. The filled bag section 29a may next be removed from the mandrel M at the station IV and the portion of the bag adjacent the mouth 21a is next pressed together and heat sealed in permanent adhesion by suitable means such as a clamp heater HI in a manner similar to forming the bottom seam 26. This forms a continuous top cross outwardly extending top closure seam 29 Joining the upper end of the longitudinal seam 25b of the filled bag to providethe filled closed package 29 shown in Figs. 10 and 11.

The filled and closed bag package 29 may next have the string handle 2| attached thereto preferably by having one end anchored by suitable means such as staple 22 to the upper portion of the longitudinal seam 25a which is superimposed over the top closure seam 28 as shown in Figs. 12 and 13. By providing said construction the staple 22 passes through four thicknesses of material and enables the tea ball 20 to be held in suspension by means of the string handle 2| in a balanced position so that any stresses or strains created by handling of the tea ball 20 or during brewing will not tear the bag structure, there being provided a bracing support from the string handle 2| through the staple 22 and the longitudinal seam 25a for the entire suspended tea ball structure.

The pillow-shaped tea ball 20 thus formed confines the tea leaves in a bag of shallow depth and thickness and the longitudinal seam and cross seam arrangement serve as; a trim to enhance the attractive appearance of said tea ball. The seams 25a, 26 and 28 also retain the bag structure of the unit sections fiat and counteract any tendency for the tea ball bag structure to curl and become unsightly in use.

It is therefore seen that there is provided an improved method in which the several objects of the invention are achieved and which are well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments of the invention may be made in the above invention and as various changes may be made in the embodiments of the method above set forth, it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth and shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The method of manufacturing tea-balls and" like articles ofthe character described comprising steps of forming an open ended tubular structure from a rectangular strip of foraminous sheet material formed of a filter layer base coated with a partial fused" thermosetting plastic lamina with the latter extending on the interior side thereof by pressing and heating sealing for permanent adhesion abutting lamina coated surfaces of edge portions of said tubular structure to provide a longitudinally extending seam, pressing and heat sealing for permanent adhesion abutting lamina coated surfaces of an open end of said tubular structure to form a bag with a bottom closure seam extending over and joining one end of said longitudinal seam, filling each bag with an essence containing product through the other open end thereof, and pressing and heat sealing for permanent adhesion of abutting lamina coated surfaces of said open end to form a completely sealed brewing package with a top closure seam extending over and joining the other end of said longitudinal seam.

2. The method defined in claim 1 including the step of flattening the bag and extending the longitudinal seam centrally along a flattened side thereof simultaneously with the forming of said bottom closure.

3. The method defined in claim 1 including the steps of flattening the bag and extending the longitudinal seam centrally along a flattened side thereof simultaneously with the forming of said bottom closure, and stapling a string handle to the completely sealed package at the junction of the longitudinal and top closure seams.

4. The continuous method of manufacturing tea-balls and like articles of the character described comprising steps of forming open ended tubular structures successively from a supply of rectangular strips of foraminous sheet material formed of a filter layer base coated with a partial fused thermosetting plastic lamina with the latter extending on the interior side of said structures bypressing and heat sealing for permanent adhesion of abutting lamina coated surfaces of edge portions of each tubular structure to pro-' vide a longitudinally extending seam, then pressing and heat sealing for permanent adhesion abutting lamina coated surfaces of an open end of each tubular structure to form a flattened bag with a bottom closure seam extending transverse said longitudinal seam and locating the latter centrally on one fiat side of the bag, next filling each bag with a measured quantity of essence containing product through the open end thereof, and then pressing and heat sealing for permanent adhesion abutting lamina coated surfaces of-each bag open end to form a completely sealed brewing package with a top closure seam extending transversely over the centralized lonsitudinal seam.

5. 'I'hemethoddefinedinclaimiincludingthe additional successive step of anchoring an end of a string handle to the multi ply portion of the sealed package on the transversely extending longitudinal seams over said top closure seam.

6. The method of the character described comprising the steps of cutting successive unit sectionsvofl one by one from a travelling strip of foraminous sheet material formed of a filter layer base coated on one side with a partial fused" thermostting plastic lamina, wrapping each unit section about a mandrel with the coated lamina side thereagainst, heat sealing for permanent adhesion edge portions of each wrapped unit section into a longitudinally extending seam and forming an open ended tubular structure therefrom with said lamina covering the interior surface thereof, drawing an open end portion of said tubular structure to extend beyond said mandrel, heat sealing for permanent adhesion said extended end of the tubular structure with a closure cross seam joining its mid portion with one end of said longitudinal seam to provide a bag, filling each bag with an essence containing ,product through the mandrel and the open end of the bag, removing the filled bag from the mandrel, heat sealing for permanent adhesion the open end portions of each bag to form a top closure seam Joining the other end of said longitudinal seam, and anchoring astring handle to said closure seam through superimposed plies of sheet material forming the longitudinal and top closure scams.

7. The method defined in claim 6 including the step of flattening the bag to extend the longitudinal seam along a'fiattened side thereof simultaneously with the heat sealing operation of the bottom closure seam.

HANS O. IRMSCHER. 

